Random Thoughts by Jennifer Vos

The game "Axis and Allies" is truly the hardest and most ridiculous game ever. I am a smart person and I cannot understand the BOOK of instructions. I don't know why Santa thought this would be a good gift for our family. Not only is it impossible, but it comes with a billion parts that could get lost or stepped on or eaten. I wish I could take a class on how to play it.

"Mommy, guess what this owl does?"
"I don't know, you tell me."
"No, you have to guess."
"Um...flies?"
"No, guess again."
"I have no idea."
"GUESS!"
"Eats?"
"NO! Mommy, guess right!"
"I really don't know."
"Ok, I'll whisper it into your ear."
What I hear in my ear: "spit...spit...spit some more...spit...a little bit more spit."
"Mommy, what did I say?"
Crap.
"Um...Spit?"
"NO!!"
"Ok..."
This conversation goes on for infinity.

Yesterday, I woke up with a bump on my index finger near the knuckle and my finger was quite swollen. It hurt all day and bothered me. Finally, at bedtime, I googled pictures of "swollen finger bite bump." Big mistake. I could not sleep after looking at all the pictures of wolf spiders, recluse spiders and their horrible bites. I pulled the covers over my head and tried to sleep. This morning my finger is even more swollen and it hurts very much. I really don't know what to do. Could it be a bite? I didn't injure it. I am concerned.

I really like my kids' friends.

Our 16th wedding anniversary was on Wednesday. Hooray for us! Tonight we are going to Toledo to stay over at a hotel and go to some of our favorite places there. Thanks to Anna for staying with our kids. I'm really excited!

It bugs me when I hear a song on the radio that I really like and I'm singing along and maybe dancing a little and thinking how cool and hip I am and then I realize that the song is almost 20 years old and I am old and unhip.

Yesterday during the nightly kitchen clean-up, something got lodged in the garbage disposal. The disposal came to a grinding halt. My job is always the disposal unclogger. After a 10 minute hunt for the unclogging tool, I tried to turn the thing to unclog it but it won't turn. So then I realize that the thing clogging it is one of my new measuring spoons. It's a really nice one. Unlodging this spoon is going to require Chris' help. We work on the disposal together and somehow the entire disposal unhooks itself and ends up on the floor under the sink. Kerplunk. Dirty, stinky food water is all over the bottom of the cabinet. Ugh. We work on this spoon, finally unlodging it. It's bent to heck. So then we get the disposal hooked back up like its supposed to. Clean up all the water. Hooray. I don't know why this story seemed better before I typed it out.

Yesterday, Spencer went to a friend's house. I wasn't home when he left. He couldn't find his tennis shoes when he left, so he grabbed the closest pair he could find. They were a brand new pair of shoes that Grammy bought for Calvin but they were two sizes too big for Calvin. They still have a giant tag on them. So Spencer wore out in public a pair of shoes that are fives sizes too big for him and have a tag on them. Not just a little tag, the store display tag. Sometimes I'm surprised child protective services doesn't show up and take all the kids away.

If you iron your sheets, I can no longer be your friend.

We just tease someone 'til she develops and eating disorder

I went to an all girl's high school that I loved loved loved. My senior year, the school had an agreement with one of our brother schools that some of their boys could come to our school and take an art class. I hated those boys. They would stand outside the art room and call out mean things to the girls walking by. I altered my route so I wouldn't have to walk past them. They were awful. It made me so mad! I loved my safe school where you might get teased by girls but never the yucky way that boys do it. I hated that they were there and taunting us. So....I wrote a letter. I wrote a letter to the editor of our newspaper outlining the reasons why these boys shouldn't be allowed to come and take the art class.

Apparently the principal at our brother school read the paper. He didn't like my article so well and I got called to our principal to explain. Seriously, I should not be in trouble! The teacher over the paper should be in trouble for allowing my letter in there if it was going to be so inflamatory. I didn't really get in trouble; just admonished to bring up complaints to the main office.

So it's over, right? Not quite.

Emily was hoping to get a Flower-gram at school on Valentine's Day. She didn't care who from. She just wanted one.

It reminded me that we had flower-grams and candy-grams at high school too. We could send them to friends at our school and boys at our brother schools. Valentine's Day my senior year I got a whole ton of candy grams from boys at one school. I was shocked! I had no boyfriend there. Who could they be from? And then I started to read them.

They were awful, horrible letters calling me a lesbian and worse because of my article in our newspaper. I just wanted to cry. It really hurt.

Now it was over.

Emily got three flower-grams on Valentine's Day and not the kind that hurt.

Happy Valentine's Day to all my sweethearts and even to those thoughtless Frannies who hurt my heart so long ago.

It's a wonderful time to live, it's a wonderful time to grow...

I was released from my calling back in November and called to be the ward Personal Progress leader. I have been going to Young Women now for about a month and I am loving it. This is not the first time I served in Young Women. I was a young women myself once. A long time ago and I'm sure I gave more than one leader grey hairs with my drama and neediness. Then when Chris and I were first married, I served in the stake YW presidency. That was fun except that you don't interact with the girls really, mostly just the leaders. We did do one really fun activity that I have never seen another stake do. It was a Mother/Daughter overnight. We went to a cabin somewhere. It was fun. The best thing was I was 9 months pregnant with Christopher and I had to dance in long, footie pajamas to some song with the other adult leaders. One of them started swinging me around and around. My water broke the next day.

I served in the stake YW again when we lived in Toledo. That was my very favorite calling ever. Not because of the work, but the women I got to serve with were IN.CRED.I.BLE. Karen Eckel. Stephanie Southam. Suzanne Wadsworth. Karma Terry. Great, awesome, wonderful women who I would serve with in any calling, anywhere, any time.

When we first moved to Plymouth, I got to serve as an advisor and a counselor and that was my first taste of actually working with the girls. Those girls are now 21-23. Unbelievable. You know my first love is Primary, but being with the YW is really fun. They get jokes and are so dramatic and silly and just fun. I am really liking it.

I've been working on planning New Beginnings. The theme I came up with is "Now is a Great Time to be a Young Woman." I've got the program done and am really excited to see if everything works like it should. The only thing I have to worry about is if the girls will follow through and actually do the parts of the program that they are assigned to. I think that is probably going to be the most frustrating part of YW for me. Letting go of control and letting girls take over even when I know they aren't going to do the kind of job I would do. Wow...that sounded really snotty. You know what I mean, right?

But you know the best part of my calling? It's being with Emily and Anna every Sunday. They are my favorites.

'Tis the season to be merry.

Emily is ready for the chili-mac!!

Things I loved about Christmas this year:

1. Caroling at the nursing home. There was this one old lady. When I saw her, I just knew she would love to see Genny. I took Genny over by her and the lady took my hand and smiled so big. She laughed at Genny. I put Genny on the ground in her bucket right next to the lady and while we were singing, the lady tickled Genny's feet. Genny gave her the cutest smiles. Finally, I took Genny out and held her on the lady's lap. The lady held my hand and told me that Genny is the cutest baby ever. It was the sweetest thing. I'm so glad we did it.



2. The children's reaction to their gifts. They seemed to really love everything. I'm so glad when they are happy.

Calvin just noticed the xbox 360!

Lucy likes her camera!

3. Lizzie dancing with Pa playing the harmonica.

4. Making cookies with my sister. Cooking snacks with my sister. Eating chili-mac with my sister. Picking out Wixey's danishes with my sister. Hugging my sister. Talking to my sister. If it involved my sister, I liked it.


5. The mimosas that Chris made for Christmas breakfast.

6. Playing The Game of Things with Jodi and kids. Best game ever! Lots of poop! And a little pinworm.

7. When we were leaving Carol's and I just knew that she shouldn't be alone and we left Calvin to stay with her and distract her a little from her heartache.

8. The video that Emily made.

9. Eating Wixey's danishes Christmas morning.

10. Shrimp

Merry Christmas everyone!!

It's a membership to the Jelly of the Month Club. Clark, that's the gift that keeps on giving

So no mailed Christmas cards again this year. I still wrote the letter though. Enjoy!

December 2010

Merry Christmas to you, our dear friends and family! We have had a busy year and are so excited to be receiving your news and sharing ours. We so look forward to everyone’s Christmas news. Here’s our rundown:

Emily is in the 9^th grade but her teachers tell us that she is reading at the level of an average 50 year old. She plays concert piano every week at local nursing homes to lift the spirits of the residents there. She was recently contacted by the USA Olympic swimming team and is so talented she gets to bypass any kind of tryouts. Look for her in London in 2012! Emily never wastes time watching TV or with Facebook. Instead, she spends her time volunteering at local soup kitchens and knitting hats for unhatted babies in foreign countries. We love Emily so much and her bright smile is so bright that it is brighter than the noonday sun.

Christopher is in the 7^th grade. He was awarded the “Best Student in our School” Award last semester. He gets A++ in every class and will be teaching next semester instead of learning. He has wrestled every available wrestler in the area and simply cannot be pinned. We are currently in negotiations with the WWE for him to become the youngest wrestler ever. Christopher abhors the Wii and all computer games. Instead he would prefer working in the garden, washing the car or writing in his journal. He will be performing on his Bass at the National Theater in Washington DC over the Fourth of July holiday next year. He became an Eagle Scout earlier than was thought humanly possible.

Calvin is in 5^th grade and is the youngest person ever to be recruited by Ohio State’s football team. He will probably skip high school completely and go directly to college where he will be on the varsity football, basketball, ice hockey, track and baseball teams. Calvin is a very serious young man who loves to write poetry and was contacted by President Obama to write a poem to be read at his inauguration in 2013. Too bad that’s not going to happen. Calvin prefers playing with his baby sisters to being with his friends and can often be seen having a lovely tea party with them. After homework and his nightly 1000 push-up and sit-ups are complete, of course.

Spencer is in the 1^st grade and he lost all of his teeth this year and they all grew back in within a week. His doctor said he is a miracle of modern orthodontia. Spencer keeps his room so clean that we eat off the floor in there every night. His classmates love him so much that they bow in his presence and spread rose petals on the floor for him to walk on. In addition to all of this, Spencer will be awarded the Nobel Prize for Mathematics next year.

Cameron goes to preschool where he has mastered crafts, blocks, magnets, stories, gym and snack. He is the best student they have ever seen at Tiny Tots! Cameron loves to help me do the laundry and can often be seen begging to hang shirts and match socks. Cameron has learned to tame wild animals and often I will find a chipmunk or squirrel nestled next to him on his pillow at night. What a dear!

Lizzie is 2 and has been contacted by Baby Gap to be the face on their new ad campaign. So in addition to her already rigorous competitive gymnastics schedule and her traveling dance troupe, we now can add modeling to her schedule. Lizzie started playing the tuba last year. She just picked it up one day and we were all amazed! Lizzie has the most beautiful hair that we suspect that Pantene will begin calling any day needing a new hair model. Be on the lookout for her sweet face everywhere.

Genny was born in June. She was born reciting the ABCs and had all the Articles of Faith memorized before she was four weeks old. Genny started eating solid foods at two weeks. She was also born potty trained! What a blessing! Genny has never cried. She uses her words to tell us when she is hungry or tired. She is literally an angel sent from heaven. We are planning on starting her on piano lessons next month. She loves to sit at the piano and play Emily’s music. I think she’s ready to start.

Chris has had a rather eventful year. Not only did he complete one of his life goals of reaching the summit of Mt. Everest but he also ran in a marathon every month. Chris makes so much money it is absolutely ridiculous. We just don’t know what to do with all of it. He stopped speaking in regular sentences this year and now will only quote scripture to communicate. In Chinese. He was elected president of the local Rotary Club, Lions Club, Civitan Club and Optimist Club. He re-sodded our entire lawn this summer, build an addition on our home, taught all the local children to ride two-wheelers and reads for the blind twice a week.

Jennifer has a cleaning lady that comes daily to make sure her house is always clean and organized. In addition, she drops off her van for a daily detail while she shops and gets a massage. Jennifer pays her nanny really well and that’s why she has so much time for the hair salon, mall and volunteering. She is room mom for every child including the older ones. The schools said they didn’t really need room mom’s in high school and middle school, but Jennifer is proving them wrong. Jennifer’s scrapbooks are so up to date that she has already scrapbooked the future. Jennifer bakes her own bread with the wheat she grows and never serves her children anything artificial or store bought. She prays daily that any future pregnancy will bring twins. She lives a storybook life.

We have a pet dog, Nala. We love her so much. She recently won the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. And rescued a family of 6 from fire.

Our house is just full of love and never a cross word is spoken. Share our joy with a visit this year!

Merry Christmas from the Vos Family! Chris, Jennifer, Emily, Christopher, Calvin, Spencer, Cameron, Lizzie and Genny

So self-absorbed and egotistical, it's like those hip musicians with their complicated shoes!

It's a good football weekend. The Plymouth Wildcats are playing in the Michigan high school state championship game at Ford Field on Saturday. Chris and the kids are going and are looking forward to whooping Lake Orion. Go 'cats!

Michigan State is playing Penn State at Penn State. I'm hoping for another Spartan win.

Wisconsin is playing Northwestern. I know it's a long shot, but I'm hoping for Wisconsin to fall.

The most exciting game this weekend will be Ohio State v. Michigan. The are playing at the Horseshoe in Columbus.

I am feeling terribly conflicted.

I hate Michigan.

But I haven't always felt that way. I once was a Michigan fan. I used to wear the Maize and Blue. I learned the fight song on the piano, recorder, clarinet, bass clarinet and electric saxophone. I went to a OSU/UM game wearing the Maize and Blue with OSU fans sitting in the OSU section cheering for UofM. I almost was killed. I was die hard.

And then I visited a little place on the Red Cedar River. A place that bleeds green and white. A place I call home. A place that sets couches on fire when they lose games. Or win them. Aaahhhhh yes...Spartan Country.

There's nothing like Michigan State. I love it. I love every inch of it. I hope all my kids go there. I wish I had a diploma from there. I'm looking at Chris' on the wall right now and pretending it's mine.

So growing up I hated OSU with a passion. I hated them. And now, I continue to dislike them alot. However, my son Calvin, loves them. He chose to be their fan because he was born in Ohio and he feels he shares a connection with them. He is also a lot like me and my dad and has to pick something to like to be different from the pack. We are all State fans--bun us--he's going to like OSU. My dad, while he also loathed OSU, would have secretly loved Calvin's affinity for them. Me too.

So I've been rooting with Calvin for OSU this season. Luckily, they didn't play State this season. Next year we will crush them.

But now they are playing U of M. Under normal circumstances, I root for everyone who plays Michigan. But if OSU falls and Wisconsin falls and State wins then we will be better positioned for a bowl game.

Can you see my dilemma? Will my hatred for U of M win out over my love for State? I don't know the answer yet. Right now I'm saying "Go State!" And "Go Bucks?"

mmmmmmm donuts...

I love a good donut. Always have. I really like a lemon filled with the powdered sugar outside.

But Krispy Kreme...those are good donuts. I remember the first time I ate one. We went to South Carolina on vacation with Chris' family. All the way down, Jeff and Jamie were talking about Krispy Kreme donuts and how wonderful they were. I kept thinking..."It's a donut. Get over it."

And then I ate one.

Have you had a fresh, warm Krispy Kreme donut?

It is aurora borealis in your mouth.

I ate a lot of donuts that week. It seems like there's a Krispy Kreme on every corner in Myrtle Beach. And they flash that "Hot Donuts Now" sign. It's like the batman symbol for fatties.

Imagine my delight when they built a Krispy Kreme store in Toledo just minutes from my home. The line was out the door on Saturday morning. That place was always busy.

And then it vanished. Now I can only get Krispy Kremes from the corner gas station and they aren't hot and they aren't aurora borealis in my mouth. Where did all the stores go?

I wish I had a hot donut now.